The "so much negativity / sheesh" was said in jest. Sometimes you don't come across right in print but so you know, my panties aren't in a wad and I don't mean to sound defensive.
That said, some of you are over-thinking this, making assumptions, and answering questions that weren't asked and I think it's confusing the issue a bit.
I won't put 20k into it. That's not the goal. From where i sit, most of what this car needs is know-how and elbow grease which is free along with some gaskets which are cheap. Yes, there are some parts needing replaced, nothing big-budget.
If I were to do a full resto...of course it would cost way more than the car is or would be worth. That's not the goal. Make it presentable (more so than a Saturday afternoon bath) and make it run well. That won't cost 20k. The current owner is neither interested in nor capable of doing these things and he is paying a monthly storage fee on it. To him, it's baggage.
I'll let you all know how it went. We meet in 20 minutes. :D